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Deaghaidh said:
I'm thinking I should try these bugfixes and so forth, some of the events seem pretty cool. Poet mentors are an actual event, I assume, and jews in sicily as well (though perhaps that's poetic lisence for building moneylenders?)

Some events are standard Paradox ones with poetic license. The Jews-related events are from my event mod. ;)
 
I'm working with the Betapatch now.

BTW, restoration of the Papal states is an event in the Betapatch, IIRC (never had to use it though) in the event they are destroyed and then a catholic conquers/liberates Rome.
 
Deaghaidh said:
I'm working with the Betapatch now.

BTW, restoration of the Papal states is an event in the Betapatch, IIRC (never had to use it though) in the event they are destroyed and then a catholic conquers/liberates Rome.

It probably creates a new random Pope though. I've actually restored the one who was previously deposed. ;)
 
Just finished catching up, good job! :)
 
Plots and Schemes

With the Papacy restored, Toscana soon became embroiled in a covert struggle for influence. Sante's wife Flora was constantly trying to influence her husband to declare her own children as his successors and to disinherit his children by his first, German wife. Sante's eldest, young Orlando, was feeling the pressure and took it with much stress. A blow was dealt to him when his betrothed, Catherine Capet, as well as her father the count of Foggia and Taranto, died within days of each other; some suspected these deaths were not natural. In any case, Foggia and Taranto passed to the French duke of Orleans, dashing Canossa hopes of inheriting them.

But Orlando's side received some unexpected support as well. The exiled family of Nordgau arrived in Toscana the same year, and were welcomed by Sante. They soon became an important political faction in Firenze, being excellent military commanders and diplomats. One of their number, Rudolf, was appointed as chancellor several years later, after the old chancellor Borso died of illness. They soon gave support to the half-German Orlando; Orlando's younger sister Micaela married young Friedrich von Nordgau.

A new bride was soon found for Orlando as well. Argentina de Flandre, granddaughter of the count of Reggio, was lame and unattractive, and Orlando's stepmother Flora thought it would be a harmless marriage that would weaken Orlando's influence. Little did she know... but more about that later. Soon, Argentina gave Orlando a baby boy, Beltrano, but Orlando's depression worsened, even after he was made count of Mantua by his father.

Toscana continued to flourish under the rule of Sante and his court. Stefano Segni, son of marshal Gregorio, was appointed as steward, and under his capable administration gold flowed into the ducal coffers. The Church of Santa Chiara in Napoli, the Church of San Giovanni in Ferrara, the Church of San Michele in Lucca, and the new castles in Brescia and Napoli are from this period. Tuscan wine production started at this time as well, with the breweries of Firenze, Napoli, and Modena being among the first in Italy. In Firenze, a school of sculptors opened, and soon the city was beautified by majestic sculptures of Classical heroes as well as Canossa dukes. Under Sante, the Jews from Sicily were also allowed to settle in mainland Italy, especially in Firenze and Modena, where they soon established prosperous businesses and were granted protection by ducal law.

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Emboldened by this prosperity, Sante decided to expand the borders of his duchy. Werner of Burgundy had recently died of illness, leaving only an infant son, Johann, who held the Italian city of Padova. Sante declared war on Burgundy, and the German King Ulrich quickly abandoned the shaky alliance with his nephew, preferring to join in the attack against him. As marshal Gregorio Segni led the Tuscan army to Padova, many local lords, as well as France, became embroiled in the struggles.

With Burgundy ruled by a child and faced with rebellions, it was in no shape to oppose invaders. Gregorio Segni took Padova in November 1131 and marched west. He took Piemonte in February 1132, and forced the Savoyards to give it up. By the end of the year, Gregorio successfully besieged Provence and Aargau, forcing Burgundy to peace. The final blow came when Ulrich of Germany forced his nephew to abdicate, reabsorbing the kingdom of Burgundy into his domains.

While the war was going on, Sante's wife Flora gave birth to another son, Lealdo, and her position at the court seemed strong. She could not, however, secure an appointment of someone loyal to her after chancellor Rudolf von Nordgau died of illness in late 1133. Instead, Sante's daughter Micaela, wife of Friedrich von Nordgau, was made the new chancellor.

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Elsewhere, the Canossa family developments were progressing fast. Sante's relative, the schizophrenic Ausonio, was made bishop of Salzburg, but in April 1131 duke Nereu of Toulouse finally died, and Ausonio inherited him. However, he ruled for barely six months before the nobles of Toulouse quietly disposed of him and invited his uncle Cataldo, bishop of Corsica. Cataldo became the next duke of Toulouse, but kept Corsica within his domains, removing it from the Tuscan sphere. Cataldo would not rule long either - only two years later he died of illness, leaving Toulouse to his newborn son Germano.

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In early 1134, there was gossip at the court of Toscana that the duke was finally preparing to assert his independence from Germany. Talk was spurred by the claim laid by Sante on the city of Parma, held directly by the German king. The preparations seemed delayed by the breakout of malaria in Firenze, which prompted the ducal court to relocate to Lucca. But on October 24th, 1134, duke Sante, weakened by age and malaria, suddenly died. The factions supporting his eldest son Orlando and the sons of Flora of Monferrato prepared to struggle for the ducal inheritance.

--------------------------------
Canossa genealogy updated to Sante's death.
 
siekel said:
Yes, it seems that it is really the right time to win the independence from the German king... How strong are your forces comparing to him, Solmyr?

I have about 17k, he has over 50k. But with all the plotting, there might not be time to fight for independence. The next update will be even more intrigue-filled. :D
 
To test a man, give him power.

Or something like that.
 
Blood and Divine Punishment

Sante's widow Flora quickly attempted to secure the succession for her sons. But she underestimated her stepson Orlando's wife, Argentina the Lame. Argentina was a ruthless and cunning woman, and ever since she came to the Tuscan court, she has been establishing contacts, making friends, and securing support for her husband. When Flora and the marshal Gregorio Segni attempted to rally their followers, they found that they had rather fewer allies than they thought. The nobles and the burghers turned against them quickly, and matters came to a head at the court of Firenze.

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In what became known as Red November, Flora's side of the family was ruthlessly butchered by Orlando and Argentina's supporters. Flora herself was strangled by one of her maids. Her son Cosma was thrown from a tower to his death; the two-year old Lealdo had his head dashed against a wall. Her fifteen-year old daughter Tomasina was given to a regiment of soldiers, and nothing was heard of her again. Only Flora's eldest son Giorgio survived, because he threw himself at the feet of his half-brother Orlando and begged for his life. Marshal Gregorio Segni was arrested and tortured to death. Before he died, he revealed the mystery of the death of Sante's father, duke Federigo. It was Sante's wife Flora, worried about Federigo's disfavor of Sante, who bribed the ransom bearers to disappear, and arranged for Federigo's death in Benevento.

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Thus by the end of November 1134, Orlando became the undisputed duke of Toscana. Though it was his wife who masterminded his ascension, he soon became known as Orlando Red-Hand. He showered favors on his main supporters, the German von Nordgau family; his brother-in-law Friedrich was made count of Piemonte, while Friedrich's brothers Wilhelm and Johann were appointed marshal and chaplain, respectively.

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The year 1135 reinforced the nickname given to Orlando. His wife Argentina continued looking for ways to increase her husband's power. At the time, Toulouse was still ruled by Orlando's cousin, the three-year old Germano di Canossa. Orlando himself was fourth in line to inherit that duchy. And so, Argentina concocted a plan to eliminate all other successors and add Toulouse to the main Canossa line. In January 1135, young Iacopo della Scala was found drowned in his baby bath; as he lived in Croatia and was only a babe, no great investigation into his death was made. In spring, however, the deaths of Tiziano and Laurenc de Bearn while hunting made many suspicious; and soon some connections with Toscana were revealed. French assassins made attempts on the lives on Orlando and Argentina, but both were able to escape death. In late spring, the young son of the Doge of Venice fell down from a third-story window, apparently by accident when he was playing. The Venetians, however, were certain that Toscana was responsible. And so, in June, Orlando's and Argentina's young son Beltrano was found with his throat slit - and a Venetian assassin was seen in Firenze that day.

The loss of their only son was widely seen as punishment from God for Orlando and Argentina. Even the sudden death of Germano in September and the inheritance of Toulouse by Orlando did not seem so good now. Orlando's depression worsened and it seemed unlikely that he would sire any more children. Thus, ironically, for all of Argentina's machinations, Orlando's heir would still be his surviving half-brother Giorgio, son of Flora.

In late 1135, Orlando decided to go on a crusade to repent for his sins and to seek God's forgiveness. Gathering his army, he sailed south from Sicily, at first taking Malta in February 1136. From there, he landed in Libya and besieged Djerba. At Djerba, the duke's chaplain Johann von Nordgau was badly wounded by a Berber arrow, but the city was taken in April. Orlando proceeded east to Tripoli. At the assault on that city, God's displeasure was shown clearly when the duke was shot in the leg twice, with the wound soon festering and burning. Tripoli was taken in June, but Orlando sailed home after appointing bishops to rule his African provinces.

1136 saw some new projects completed in Tuscan lands, most notably the monastery of San Frediano in Lucca and a war academy in Napoli, the first in Italy. Under Orlando's reign, the Jews continued to enjoy ducal protection, and were allowed to settle all over his lands. With his half-brother Giorgio now his heir, Orlando sought a wife for him, and soon Giorgio was married to Violante Jimenez, a relative of the count of Navarra.

In 1138, Toscana waged a short war against the independent count of Monferrato, making good on its claim to that county. By August, Monferrato was taken by Tuscan forces, and given to Hartmann of Luxembourg, another German supporter of Orlando. That war, however, was only a prelude to what would come next.

The Wars of Independence

Back in 1135, the German king Ulrich had died, and his son was crowned as Konrad IV. In early 1139, Konrad's Italian subjects began a rebellion, with the republics of Treviso and Pisa refusing to recognize his authority. The time was now good to assert Toscana's independence as well, and Orlando took the opportunity, declaring war on the King in March. Fighting against German forces commenced immediately across northern Italy, with Lucca, Parma, and Modena seeing the most combat. In June, the Neapolitan regiment under Eriprando di Tarantasia took the city of Urbino, then held by the Germans.

In July, Pope Sylvester IV finally died of old age. His successor was Matieuda d'Este, the bishop of Pavia, a man of great piety and virtue that was a stark contrast to his predecessors. He took the name Clement III. Nonetheless, the new Pope was a fierce proponent of Italian independence, and supported the Italian struggle in spirit if not in deed.

Fighting continued across the Romagna and Lombardia. In September, the malaria in Firenze was finally in retreat and the ducal court moved back there from Lucca. In Spring 1140, Parma was taken from the Germans, but news came that Toulouse was lost. Brave Eriprando di Tarantasia sadly died when fighting the Germans near Ravenna. With the Tuscan treasury empty, Orlando was forced to institute new taxes, and many resented his arbitrariness. Finally, marshal Wilhelm von Nordgau, leader of the Tuscan forces, made a decisive push, marching through Pavia and to the walls of Genoa, where he finally crushed the German army. Konrad IV was forced to accept peace with Orlando, giving up Parma and Urbino and paying reparations.

At peace, Orlande gave Mantua to his brother and heir Giorgio, who had just had a son born to him. In February 1141, Orlando's maternal grandfather, old Otto von Lenzburg, finally died, and Orlando inherited the county of Ancona. However, more unrest followed in summer of that year, when Giorgio suddenly died of illness, leaving Mantua to his newborn son Gregorio. With the Canossa dynasty seriously depleted, Orlando decreed that only male members of the dynasty could inherit, and succession could not be traced through a female. But this prompted a rebellion in Mantua by a group of nobles who sought to depose Orlando and instate his young nephew Gregorio as the new duke. The rebellion was quickly crushed by marshal Wilhelm, and at the urging of his wife Argentina, Orlando had little Gregorio strangled to avoid any further challenges to his rule.

In 1142, Orlando decided to establish Italian independence once and for all. To that end, he allied with Symeon Kabakes, the Roman Emperor, whose father fought against Tuscan forces twenty years before. Symeon, eager to weaken his German rivals, readily agreed to support Orlando. With Germany now beset by rebellions of the German dukes as well, Orlando declared war in February. His first target was the German-minded archbishop of Ravenna, who was quickly defeated by marshal Wilhelm von Nordgau and agreed to leave Ravenna in March. Wilhelm then turned north, marching on the republic of Bologna. In the meantime, Pope Clement III died, and the Papal seat passed to Stentore, bishop of Capua - a vassal of Orlando. Stentore, now Pope Celestine II, was a man of sharp mind and masterful political skills, and in his rhetoric the Italians found much support in their war against Germany.

In the meantime, the Genoese, fearing Tuscan power, invaded the duchy's lands, capturing Parma. Marshal Wilhelm, however, quickly marched to retake the city, with the help of some Irish mercenaries. The Genoese, beaten back and their city threatened by Wilhelm, were forced to pay tribute for peace. In November, also Bologna fell, and was incorporated into Tuscan demesne, with Orlando crowned duke of Romagna.

Wilhelm next marched north to Verona, held by the independent duchy of Kärnten. With Orlando himself relocating to the safety of Napoli while the war raged, evil tongues accused him of cowardice. Indeed, it was Wilhelm von Nordgau who almost singlehandedly fought the Germans. He took Verona in January 1143 and forced the duke of Kärnten to give it up, but in the meantime Parma fell to fresh German forces who arrived from the north. The war now progressed to such a stage that only the complete independence of Italy would satisfy Orlando, who now claimed the Iron Crown of Lombardy for himself.

Many battles followed one after the other all across Toscana, but the biggest one took place in August near Lucca. It was this battle that was lost by the Tuscans after fierce fighting, with massive casualties on both sides. Marshal Wilhelm quickly retreated to the family castle of Canossa to recuperate, while call for fresh forces was sent to Orlando's Tolosan and Sicilian vassals.

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The Tolosans were the first to arrive, landing near Parma in July and liberating the city. They soon marched east, relieving Modena. Wilhelm then left the defense of Toscana to the newly arrived Sicilian forces, and himself marched northeast, invading Germany itself. In spring 1145 he encountered king Konrad IV himself, defeating him near Vienna and taking the city. In fall, he reached Frankonia and occupied royal demesne there. The German dukes, seeing that their king was getting weaker, rebelled with renewed ferocity. Wilhelm marched to Saxony and set sail to Brittany, where Konrad held the city of Vannes. Vannes fell in May 1146, and Wilhelm moved south through France, reaching and taking German-held Agen in August.

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Tolosans to the rescue!

There, news reached him that duke Orlando had died from an illness caused by his war wound. The duchy was now held by Orlando's uncle Gerardo, count of Palermo, called "the Unlikely" for nobody expected him to inherit. Despite the evil deeds of Orlando's reign, the Pope agreed to beatify him as a hero of Italian independence. The duke died at the age of 36, never seeing the end of his struggle.

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Gerardo, newly crowned, quickly secured the loyalty of the returning marshal Wilhelm by giving him the hand of his daughter Aurelia. With Germany defeated, Konrad IV was forced to agree to a partition of his lands. The rebel duke Tommaso of Thuringia, himself an Italian, was given the crown of Burgundy, while Gerardo was recognized as King of Italy by the Treaty of Vienna on February 4th, 1147. Gerardo quickly crushed the rebellious duke of Lombardy, taking Milan; and afterwards all Italian nobles recognized his suzerainity. The age of independent Italy had begun.

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The independent Kingdom of Italy in 1147

-----------------------------------
Canossa genealogy updated to Italian independence.
 
Great job, Solmyr!:) Hopefully Gerardo(poor stats btw) has a heir worthy the throne of Italy?;)
 
Gerardo has a lot of good traits though. Seems like a good guy, though he appearantly has a vicious streak deep down :D

And fear the Irish Mercenaries! Their pointed sticks are much sharper than yours! :D I never hire them personally, though I liked to see them there.
 
Wow, GREAT update. Assassinations are always fun, especially when you just go apecrap with him. :D

BTW...

Her fifteen-year old daughter Tomasina was given to a regiment of soldiers

*shivers*
 
Gerardo's Campaigns

Gerardo's first years of reign went by peacefully enough. The lands of Italy prospered despite his poor skills at management, and the people were happy. But gradually, the king became more and more zealous in his faith. Under the influence of his chaplain Sergio Faliero, one of the most virtuous and zealous men in Europe, Gerardo began increasing the Church's power and influence at his court. Finally, in summer 1151, in his 55th year, he had a vision from God urging him to take the cross, and did so without hesitation.

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Soon enough, Gerardo sailed from Sicily with his army, landing in Libya where his vassal bishops held sway. He marched east upon the scattered sheikdoms near Egypt, defeating them one by one. Leptis Magna, Syrte, Senoussi, Cyrenaica, and Tobruk fell before him. Finally in spring 1152 Gerardo advanced on Quattara, which was ruled by sheik Umar who also controlled Al Aqabah and the Canarias. The battle was hard as Gerardo had to march first east to conquer Al Aqabah and then sail west to the Canarias, but the king fought heroically and his enemies were defeated and subjugated.

Just as Gerardo returned home from his crusade, he heard that Pope Celestine II had passed away and the Curia now elected a Bavarian, Wenzel von Nordheim, formerly bishop of Regensburg, as the new Pope. Wenzel, or Innocent II, a man known for both his virtuous character and fanatical devotion, did much to guide Gerardo on the path to deeper faith. The king became known for his chastity and for the harshness with which he imposed religious control upon his subjects. In May 1154, when his wife Marcela died of illness, Gerardo became convinced that this was caused by the irreverent attitude of his people, and enacted a massive purge in Milano, one of the centers of education and radical thought in Italy. Nonetheless, even the king could not suppress all dissent, and new ideas took root in Firenze and Napoli as well. In the latter, local progressive theologians suggested new, critical ways of interpreting the Bible, prompting another cruel purge by Gerardo's inquisitors.

Meanwhile, in 1155 the German King Konrad IV died, leaving no male heirs. The kingdom passed to his nephew Libero, an Italian from an illegitimate branch of the Luxembourg dynasty. Libero's ascension was greeted with many rebellions as the powerful German dukes sought to assert their autonomy. Gerardo decided to take the opportunity to force the recognition of Italian independence once and for all.

His first attack began in October, as he invaded Savoie and by January forced its duke to submit. He then marched east to the German capital of Vienna, easily defeating the small force of German loyalists and laying siege to the city, which surrendered in May. Pressed by rebels elsewhere, Libero was forced to give up his claims on Italy.

Gerardo took a brief interlude to see to family matters. His eldest son Ettore had already died, and his grandson Sante, just come of age, was now the heir-apparent. A wife was found for Sante, Ide de Blois, daughter of the duke of Champagne who at the time was an English vassal. Sante was then given Savoie to rule.

Internal problems in Italy soon forced a new war. Gerardo had problems with his vassals, the republican rulers of Genoa, who had continuously refused to submit to feudal authority. In late 1156 he finally forced a confrontation with Genoa. Treacherously, Libero de Luxembourg again declared war on Italy in support of Genoa. But Gerardo was not intimidated. Quickly, he marched to take Genoa and Nice, and by fall 1157 he was in control as the republican government fled. The king knew that he had to put an end to the German threat once and for all, and so he again marched on Vienna, taking the city in January 1158 and adding it to his lands. With no lands left, Libero went into exile and the throne of Germany was vacant. Gerardo soon moved his capital to Genoa, richest of the cities he held, despite the epidemic of smallpox and typhoid that was ravaging norhtwestern Italy and Provence.

Gerardo's family was not doing so well, however. Though he had several sons from his second wife, they were not so skilled as his grandson and heir Sante was. Unfortunately, Sante died in 1157 from illness, leaving an infant son Omero and a pregnant wife. Omero died next year, but by then Sante's second son Pandolfo was born posthumously - the heir to Italy.

In 1161, Gerardo embarked on his next campaign to liberate neighboring lands from the yoke of Orthodox schismatics who had conquered them some time before. The lands of Valais and Aquileia were ruled by the Rus prince of Kiev, and the Pope called upon Gerardo to take them back. And so Gerardo marched, taking Aquileia and Valais by summer 1162 - naturally, Kiev could do little to oppose it.

In November 1161, Pope Innocent II died. His successor was bishop Beneset of Reims, or Pope Eugenius III - another zealous man, and one with a martial view. He made Gerardo his closest confidant and ally, in recognition of the king's work for the Church. But that would not last long. In February 1163, the old king died in his bed, blessed by the clergy. His great-grandson Pandolfo, a child not yet five years of age, became his lawful successor.

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---------------------------------
Canossa genealogy updated to Pandolfo's ascension.
 
Yeah, I have great hopes for the future of Italy.:D
 
Outliving your grandchildren is a truely rare occurance!

And what's a guy got to do to be a saint these days? He had all the good traits it seemed, and pretty solid piety.
 
Solmyr said:
Now that you guys praised Pandolfo to heavens, he'll probably die from illness at 5. :D


Now you know what its like to be a Browns fan.

"This years #1 draft pick is the x factor this team needs! He's a steal at $50 million signing bonus, he's going to turn it all around for us and be the cornerstone of our new dynasty!"

Week 1: Massive, season ending-injury he never really recovers from.
 
The Taming of the Republics

With the house of Canossa so significantly short on surviving members, many were already expecting to see its demise in a short time. But two men whose loyalty to the Canossa and the Italian monarchy were beyond question took it upon themselves to safeguard the young king and his family. Marshal Wilhelm von Nordgau and steward Stefano Segni assumed joint regency over Pandolfo and administration of the kingdom. After installing Pandolfo's great-uncle Ercole as count of Aquileia, they turned their attention to the remaining challenges to the monarchy within Italy.

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In early 1164, Wilhelm gathered Italian armies from Genoa and Toscana and marched upon the republic of Pisa, at the time under the sway of the Venetian Togliatti family. The republic, plagued by internal dissent between Pisan loyalists and Venetian newcomers, did not offer much resistance, and finally chancellor Luca Savelli negotiated a settlement by which the Pisans submitted to Italy and the Venetians were expelled.

As soon as Pisa submitted, Wilhelm marched north to Padova, from which he invaded the lands of Venice. At the time the Doge was another member of the Togliatti family, an underage boy named Ferruccio. Again, his reign was plagued by internal conflicts, and the Venetians did not offer much resistance. Venice and Treviso fell quickly and in December a peace agreement was reached. It was agreed that Venice would become part of Italy and its new capital, while the king's great-uncle Ercole would now become Duke of Veneto. Young king Pandolfo soon moved to Venice, just in time to begin his courtly education.

With Italian power firmly established internally, Wilhelm and Stefano set about expanding political influence abroad. Over the course of ten years, alliances were made with the duke of Saxony, and later with the kings of England, Poland, and Hungary. The two regents did not tolerate any challenge to their power within the court, as well. When Argentina the Lame, widow of duke Orlando Red-Hand and the kingdom's spymaster, tried to increase her own influence, her ambitions were quickly quashed and she was exiled from Venice.

As Pandolfo grew up under his regents' capable tutelage, his realm also prospered both in culture and in military strength. The University of Firenze, the first in Europe, was opened in July 1165, and soon students from all over Italy and beyond flocked to it to take courses in both theology and the liberal arts. War academies opened in Milano and Toscana, turning out skilled military leaders and strategists. However, not everyone had it so good. This period also saw a general increase in the zeal and religious fervor all across Italy, and the Jews, who had long enjoyed protection from the Tuscan dukes, were forced to leave from many northern Italian cities, finding refuge in Sicily.

Another brief war was fought in 1167 against Gebhart of Zähringen, Duke of Kärnten, to force him to give up his pretensions on the Duchy of Verona. In early 1168 Italian armies also occupied Trent, adding it to the kingdom, and later that year they liberated Venaissin from the yoke of the schismatic prince of Novgorod. During all this, in November 1167 Pope Eugenius III died, and the Cardinals chose Guinard, bishop of Lüneburg, to succeed him as Anastasius IV. The new Pope was a learned, pious man and he saw Italy as the foremost bastion of Christianity in Europe. Thus it was that he consulted closely with the Italian court on all matters, and it was said that many decisions of the Roman Church were made in Venice.

The next several years went by peacefully again, as new royal palaces were built across Italy, and Venice started exporting dyed cloth called 'Venezetto' that soon became popular among European nobility. Meanwhile, Milano became famous for its glass manufactures. Napoli, long a bastion of Greek culture in Italy, finally became assimilated as its citizens fully adopted Italian cultural traits. And the romantic poems of Genoese minstrels aroused passion and excitement in every civilized court of Europe.

1172 saw the death of two important court figures. In May, marshal Wilhelm von Nordgau, a longtime supporter of the royal family, died of old age. His son Manfred, a commander even more skilled than his father, was made the new Marshal. In November, old Luca Savelli, who had served Italy well for many decades, also died of old age, to the mourning of everyone.

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Finally, in August 1174 Pandolfo came of age and began his own reign, though still with much guidance and advice from old Stefano Segni. The young king, though sometimes a little rough and brusque, nonetheless seemed to handle most things with skill and foresight, and many hoped that his reign would become a golden age for Italy.

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Italy at Pandolfo's 16th birthday